A marvel of art and design in bustling Midtown Manhattan, The Whitby Hotel in New York City showcases the daring eye of design maven Kit Kemp in a newly built space with oversized windows, open floor plans and abundant terraces. Each uniquely decorated room has fabric-covered walls, bold art and crisp linens, along with a marble and granite bathroom. Take in additional details in the sweeping art-filled lobby, drawing room and restaurant or retreat to the screening room for a film about classic New York. Tantalizingly close to Central Park, MOMA and Fifth Avenue, the hotel is smack in the middle of the best of the city.

Smith Extra

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One drink-of-choice each a stay; GoldSmiths also get a welcome gift and upgrade to the next room category (subject to availability)

At the hotel

Our favourite rooms

Every room is uniquely designed in Kit Kemp’s signature style, with its own custom furniture and accent pieces, but all have huge windows and beautiful marble and granite bathrooms. The Junior Terrace Suites have high ceilings, oversized windows and a corner terrace overlooking Manhattan rooftops. For the ultimate rooftop New York experience, book the Whitby Suite, a penthouse space occupying the entire top floor of the hotel, with two king-size bedrooms, two terraces and the best views of the city.

Packing tips

Borrow a book from the library in the Drawing Room, a bright, colourful space with an original art collection, an honesty bar, a fireplace and a large library packed with appealing reads.

Also

All public areas are wheelchair accessible. There are several rooms with dedicated wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.

Dress Code

Hotel restaurant

The Whitby Bar is decorated with baskets sourced from throughout the UK and strung from the ceiling, but it’s American dishes that are on offer from breakfast to dinner. The breakfast menu includes pancakes, a toasted bagel, porridge and fresh juices, and dinner showcases grilled fish and steak, as well as the likes of truffle agnolotti with crab and a smoked pork chop, with seasonal sides. In the adjoining Orangery, 40 illuminated pots are each etched with a tribute to New York's architecture and infrastructure.

Hotel bar

The Bar serves a thoughtful cocktail menu of spritzes, as well as a list of cocktails inspired by each of the Firmdale hotels. There is a small menu of light bites, including beer-battered peppers and a chorizo monkey bread, along with small pizzas and a burger.

Last orders

Breakfast is served from 7am to 11am, lunch from noon to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 11pm.

Room service

A selection of salads, soups, sandwiches and entrees is available anytime.

Location

Address

The Whitby Hotel

18 West 56th Street

New York

10019

United States

The Whitby Hotel is in Midtown Manhattan, near the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park.

Planes

New York’s three airports have direct flights from nearly every major city in the world. LaGuardia is the closest airport, 7 miles from the hotel (about 35 minutes, depending on traffic). There are plenty of cabs and ride-share cars available at every airport, or you can contact Smith24 for help with transfers.

Trains

The hotel’s a 10-minute drive from Penn Station, the Amtrak hub, which offers connections up and down the East Coast, including to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, DC.

Automobiles

Driving in New York can fray even the most patient nerves, and seem like the slowest possible option during Manhattan’s renowned traffic jams, when even pedestrians outpace traffic. Those who prefer to hire a car can use the hotel’s valet for $85 a night, with no in-and-out privileges.

Other

Several major subway routes are easy to hop on nearby.

Worth getting out of bed for

New York has no shortage of attractions for outgoing visitors, including Broadway shows, restaurant tours, urban strolls and seemingly endless museums. The Whitby is right in the heart of some of New York’s most interesting attractions. Take a stroll through the art-filled lobby to prime yourself for a tour of the world-renowned Museum of Modern Art two blocks from the hotel, where you’ll find Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory, among other priceless works.

Pause from the sightseeing with a break for afternoon tea at the hotel. The Whitby Bar and the Orangery both offer tea service throughout the afternoon, with a choice of New York-inspired traditional tea (including a buffalo chicken tea sandwich and a matcha tiramisu), or a healthy tea with vegetable-quinoa sushi and chia pudding.

Once fortified, venture back out to enjoy shopping along legendary 5th Avenue, home to Bergdorf Goodman and Saks, along with flagship boutiques for top designers or take a stroll in Central Park, the ultimate urban backyard, where New Yorkers cluster in all weather to breathe fresh air and stretch out from their tiny flats. It’s the ideal way to work up a dinner appetite.

Local restaurants

For a taste of high-society New York, book a table around the corner from the hotel at the Polo Bar, a restaurant designed by Ralph Lauren, which is the table of choice for those with pull on the Upper East Side. As all-American as the designer's clothing, the menu includes a burger, chicken paillard, shrimp cocktail and generous salads, all best paired with dry martinis or icy rosé. The Grill, on 52nd Street, is a design lover’s dream and a fitting tribute to The Four Seasons, a mid-century New York institution that long occupied its space in the Seagram Building. The chefs serve an opulent menu of steak tartare, a hefty crab cake and chops, with lavish desserts and cocktails to round out the experience. Rotisserie Georgette makes roast chicken into masterpieces, turning out perfectly cooked birds four flavour combinations (get the au poivre with green peppercorns), with a wicked tarte tatin for dessert.

Local bars

For cocktails with a view, book a table at Bar SixtyFive, atop Rockefeller Center. Set on the 65th floor, beside the legendary Rainbow Room, the bar serves classic cocktails with a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, including prime views of the Empire State Building. The Rum House, off Broadway, is an ideal place to escape the chaos of Times Square and chill with a daiquiri, expertly crafted by some of the best rum experts in the city.

Reviews

Anonymous review

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this artsy hotel in Midtown Manhattan and unpacked their art books and shopping bags, a full account of their city break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside The Whitby in New York City…

Midtown Manhattan conjures Mad Men-like visions of power breakfasts, business suits and deal-making handshakes. Add to that mix a breath of boho breeziness, thanks to the Whitby Hotel. Design maven Kit Kemp has created a whirl of colour and energy in America’s business epicenter, adding textures and patterns and stories to a neighbourhood renowned for its stark professionalism. The newly built hotel is bright and open, creating airy spaces with oversized windows, high ceilings and frequent terraces. Pick up some culture without leaving the grounds, thanks to art installations in the common areas and a book-filled drawing room with an honesty bar ideal for settling in and poring over a leather-bound tome. As this is Midtown, the restaurant makes for an impressive spot to power breakfast. Go classic with eggs, French toast and fresh juices, or vary it with a spirulina dragon fruit bowl, and show a bit of character in the heart of New York City.

The Guestbook

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